Ruppert Landscape hires three in Va.

GAINESVILLE, Va  – Ruppert Landscape’s Virginia Landscape Construction Branch has added three employees to accommodate the fast-growing company.

Michele Lewis and Victor Smith will serve as estimators and Kellie Mason will be a branch administrator for the commercial landscape construction management company.

“At the time of both Lewis and Smith’s hire, we had only intended to bring on one estimator,” branch manager Ken Thompson said. “But their enthusiasm, varied experience levels and diverse backgrounds made it impossible for us to choose just one. With our continued anticipated growth in the next few years, we made the decision to hire them both.”

Lewis, a resident of Gainsville, Va, has a background in finance and studied Landscape Contracting at Penn State University.

“Lewis is a great match for our organization because she brings with her a cautious confidence that comes from her foundation in finance as well as a penchant for learning and team building,” Thompson said. “She’ll be a great asset to our team as she continues to grow into this position.”

Smith, a resident of Ashburn, Va, has a Bachelor of science in Geology  from West Virginia University and brings with him a construction background that includes both landscape and environment industries.

“Smith’s experience with environmental sitework and years of solid estimating experience made him an ideal fit for our expanding team,” Thompson said.

Both Lewis and Smith will estimate direct costs for landscape installation bids and change orders based on plans, specifications and site inspections. This includes verifying all material costs, qualifying subcontractor quotations, calculating labor hours, capturing miscellaneous expenses and assigning preliminary margins.

Mason, a resident of Gainesville, Va, has spent more than six years in the constriction industry and brings with her knowledge of payroll and billing.

“In a recent position, Kellie was a field office coordinator for a large construction firm,” Thompson said. “This experience and related industry field knowledge made her a perfect match for our branch administrator position and we are looking forward to many good things from her.”

Mason will be responsible for maintaining and organizing all communication in and out of the office, weekly payroll, accounts payable and receivable processing as well as generating/maintaining financial reports and other general office duties.